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Privacy & Confidentiality Policy

POLICY STATEMENT

Blue Mountains Food Services and it's NDIS Program, "Cook+Connect" will respect each consumer’s right to privacy, dignity, and confidentiality. All personal information will be collected, stored, and shared only with consent and in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988, Privacy Amendment Act 2017 (Notifiable Data Breaches) and the 13 Australian Privacy Principles.

 

A consumer’s rights to privacy and confidentiality will be communicated in a way which supports their understanding.  

 

POLICY

NOTE: This Policy does not apply to the personal information of employees of the Organisation.

 

Blue Mountains Food Services collects personal information from consumers to enable the safe and appropriate delivery of agreed services.  

 

Blue Mountains Food Services is committed to protecting consumers’ personal information, and does so in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles.  

 

What is personal information? Personal information means information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable, whether the information or opinion is true or not, and whether the information or opinion is recorded in a material form or not.

 

Sensitive information is a type of personal information and includes health information, genetics, race, political opinion or membership, religion, philosophical beliefs, union membership, sexual orientation or practices and criminal record.

 

Health information includes information or an opinion about the health, including an illness, disability or injury (at any time) of an individual, an individual’s express wishes about future provision of health services to them, any health service that has been or is to be provided to an individual, any personal information collected to provide or in providing a health service, information collected in connection with a donation or intended donation of body parts, organs or body substances, genetic information that is or could be predictive of health at any time of the individual or a relative of the individual and healthcare identifiers.  

 

Staff and Volunteers should note that privacy and confidentiality apply:

  • In the workplace

  • At home and in the community

  • When talking with other volunteers

  • When dealing with people of other agencies

  • In social environments

  • When dealing with other consumers

  • Consumers and other service users who obtain information about consumers.

 

Key principles for collection, storage and sharing of personal information:

  • Consent is obtained from consumers for the collection, storage, transfer, and disposal of their personal information. A Privacy Collection Notice is given to consumers at the time of collection, which outlines the data being collected and the purpose for it being collected.  

  • Information about privacy and confidentiality is communicated in a variety of ways which support consumer understanding (plain English, verbal, pictorial)

  • Consumers will understand where their information is stored, how and why

  • Consumer files, whether hard or electronic files, are kept in a secure location with authorised access only

  • A notifiable data breach occurs when a person’s data is lost or susceptible to unauthorised access, which could result in serious harm, and nothing can be done to reduce possible harm. Blue Mountains Food Services will ensure that they adhere to Privacy Amendment Act 2017 (Notifiable Data Breaches) and follow due process where a breach occurs, including notifying consumers and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

  • Consumers have the right to access their information at any time

  • Consumers are encouraged to provide updated information if their circumstances change

  • Blue Mountains Food Services staff will update information when they become aware of changes to consumer circumstances, and/or when a review is carried out, to ensure that the information is current and accurate

  • All information relating to consumers is confidential and will not be disclosed to any other person or organisation without the consent of the consumer 

  • Statistical data submitted to funding bodies is de-identified. Blue Mountains Food Services uses a consumer management system which completes bulk uploads to the Departments Data Exchange (DEX). The Statistical Linkage Key for a consumer will be saved in a consumer-level unit record that is stored by the Department in the DSS (Department of Social Services) Data Exchange. The information that is stored in a consumer-level unit record will not include the consumer’s name or pseudonym, and street-level address

  • Only information necessary for delivering effective services will be collected   

  • Photographs or electronic recordings will not be taken without permission

  • Each consumer will be offered the right to choose whether to participate in any research or auditing process

  • All staff and volunteers will receive training regarding confidentiality and privacy

  • The intake/assessment and review of consumers will take place in the consumer’s home or a location that facilitates privacy and confidentiality. 

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